AESA RAdar Datalink
Following research into the past two years, an
industry group including Northrop Grumman Corporation, L-3
Communications Inc. and Lockheed Martin Aeronautics demonstrated the
use of active electronically scanned array (AESA) radars for
high-bandwidth communications.
In the demonstration, electronic signals generated by the AESA radar
were used to transmit imagery data transmission to an L-3
Communication's Common Data Link modems, at a speed of 274
megabits-per-second, twice and four times the basic
CDL data rate.
Northrop Grumman's Electronic Systems sector is producing the
AN/APG-77 AESA for the F-22 aircraft. The Common Data Link (CDL) modem
is used to transmit and receive high-data-rate, line-of-sight
communications over long distances for both air-to-air and
air-to-ground applications.
This demonstration is part of the F/A-22 Non-Traditional Intelligence,
Surveillance and Reconnaissance (NT-ISR) missions, considered for for
possible spiral application into F-22 and F-35 aircraft programs,
allowing them to transmit and receive large, uncompressed data
packages, such as synthetic aperture radar images and other data,
within seconds. According to Maj. Gen. Tommy Crawford, commander of
the U.S. Air Force Command and Control, and Intelligence, Surveillance
and Reconnaissance Center, "Radar CDL (R-CDL) is a needed capability
to support near-real-time NT-ISR. R-CDL complements the tactical
data-link capability of tactical targeting
network technology to complete networking the battlespace."
DSL-like Wiring Enhances Aircraft Databus
Capacity
A recent demonstration by Boeing Phantom Works, Data
Device Corp. (DDC) and Honeywell enhanced the data transfer capability
of aircraft at least 40 times faster than standard 1553 bus, utilizing
existing aircraft wiring. Application of this technology will allow
aircraft systems to be efficiently upgraded for future combat
environments. Designated HyPer-1553, the new technology
developed by DDC utilizes Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) techniques,
similar to the technology used to expand the data-carrying capability
of ordinary telephone lines. According to Steve Wilson, Boeing Phantom
Works lead engineer for the project: "(HyPer-1553) operates in
parallel with existing MIL-STD-1553 data buses, upgrades can be done
incrementally, which further expands the options for upgrading the
war-fighting capabilities of current and future aircraft.
During the test, Boeing engineers used HyPer-1553 data bus to transmit
imagery between a rugged computer mounted in the forward equipment bay
of the F-15E and a modified Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM)
mounted on a wing pylon station. The results showed that HyPer-1553
transferred data at 40 megabits per second in parallel with
MIL-STD-1553 data being transferred at 1 megabit per second. The team
also transferred data at 40, 80 and 120 megabits per second on a
second bus dedicated to the higher speed data.
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